It can happen with any type of grappling. There is protection...... I will get back to you when I remember the name of the thing....... they look like ear muffs made of hard plastic

Check out the Wiki page for it. Some good info there.

we just called them head gear.

to the op I didnt get it real bad my left ear lost some of its curl in the top but thats about it. I wore head gear allot but not all the time. I started to show signs after a year in a half. If you just protect your ears you shouldnt get it too bad.

hey, i wanted to wrestle for my high school (im actually a pretty good grappler just because i watch and learn MMA fights which has actually helped me in fights)

I know that i would get cauliflower ear because of personal stories from other wrestlers so i wanted to know how long would it take to get it, how to know of signs of it, and how to prevent it

I started wrestling when i was about 4 years old and didnt not have any sign till i was 17 going into my senior year of high school. WEAR HEADGEAR. your teamates will hate you but tell them to wear theres and its no big deal. I had to have surgery so mine isnt as bad as most but you can get it from grappling or even boxing. You will need a head gear for almost all of competition so get used to it and it will help alot with cauliflower ear.

You can buy head gear at just about any sports store. DON'T buy the cheap ones with the metal snaps. The snaps rust. Buy the ones with a gel inside and adjustable velcro straps. They are worth the extra cash.

I got cauliflower ear after about 6 months of training. In addition to grappling, also be careful if you do any Muay Thai type clinch work.